Still Mind, Strong Heart.

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived an evil man who delighted in making others angry and miserable. He was a wealthy man who had made his money through the tears and sweat of others. Every day, he went out into the streets and insulted all those around him. He would only stop when he had made someone cry or lose his temper. He never failed to upset or anger a person. He reveled in his reputation as bully who was feared by many.

At the same time in this land, there was a wise and gentle man who helped everyone with their problems. This wise man had reputation for never losing his temper. He was known never to raise his voice, even in the direst circumstances. He was a source of comfort and inspiration to hundreds of people.

Of course, when the evil man heard about the wise man, he became determined to make him angry so that he would lose his temper and his composure. The evil man travelled to see the wise man. When he arrived in front of the wise man, he proceeded to hurl abuse at him. He insulted the wise man’s religion, his family, his culture and his friends. On and on he continued. For an entire hour, he bombarded the wise man with all the rudest, crudest insults he could think of.
Eventually, when the evil man had temporarily run out of invectives, the wise man asked the evil man a question.

In a calm, considered voice, he asked, “Tell me, Sir. If someone offers you a gift and you refuse to accept the gift, to whom does the gift belong?” The evil man immediately responded by shouting. “What a stupid question, obviously the gift belongs to the person who is offering the gift.”

The wise man just smiled and said, “Well then sir, if I refuse to accept your abuse, to whom does it belong?”

Moral of the story:
The fear of being hurt, humiliated or rejected by another person is the single biggest bogeyman for many of the people we speak to. All that has to happen to us as we grow up is for a single person to ridicule us. Sticks and stones can break our bones, but words hurt us deeply.

Every day we talk to people who permit themselves to be defined by others. They allow themselves to be controlled by opinions, prejudices and biases of others. Because they are so dependent on other people for approval or acceptance, they compromise themselves. They let other people live rent free in their minds.

On Planet earth, you cannot go back in time. You cannot erase the hurts, the abuse, the disrespect, and the insults. But you can validate yourself now. You can stand tall. Be a King with still mind and strong heart. Always remember, you are the ruler of your life and magnificent God’s creation.